Friday, September 26, 2008

-After putting the girls down for a nap, I heard a banging on my back window. I looked through the blinds to find an old woman holding a 2-year old child, and opened the door.

She leaned into me and started talking, a bit frantically, pointing and waving her arms. Unforutnately, the only phrase I understood was "No English."

She kept talking, getting louder and louder, so I motioned for them to come inside. I offered her a pen and paper, hoping she could sketch what she needed, but she shoved them back and me with more "thrlbokthrlbokthrlbok....NO ENGLISH.... thrlbokthrlbokthrlbok....NO ENGLISH."

Now I'm starting to get nervous. Does she need medical attention?

After a few minutes, and against all odds, I'm able to determine that she speaks Farsi. So, I hold up my phone up and say, "I'll find Farsi. I'LL FIND FARSI." (like I know who the heck to call)

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Several months ago our Jolie developed a sudden, inexplicable preference for the right, versus the left, side of things.

I say preference. I mean obsession.

She refuses to sit on the left side of the double stroller. She won't sleep on the left side of the bed. When she climbs into her carseat she has to be reassured that it's installed on the right side of the car (Yes Jolie, just like it was yesterday. And the day before. And the day before that).

At first this was cute. Then curious. Then it started to drive me crazy.

One day while trying to buckle the girls into their stroller I couldn't take it anymore. "Jolie, left OR right. Just SIT down. IT DOESN'T MATTER."